What are References?
References allow members to leave reviews for one another based on their experiences. References benefit the entire community by allowing each person to make more informed decisions about who they might want to meet.
References are displayed publicly on member profiles, and can be listed as:
- I would host/stay with again
- I wouldn't host/stay with again
- Recommends
- Doesn't Reccomend
What is Feedback?
In addition to references, members can also submit anonymous feedback for stays they've had with other members. In order to leave feedback after a stay, traveler and host must have a Couchrequest between them in the “Accepted” or “Confirmed” state.
Once a stay is completed, you will be prompted to give feedback for the other member from your dashboard. You can then leave your anonymous feedback by selecting tags that describe your stay or hosting experience.
Positive feedback tags will be public and grouped anonymously on this person’s profile in future site updates. Negative feedback tags are private (will not be shared with the other member and won't appear on profiles) and will be reviewed by the Safety Team.
When should I write a Reference?
You can write a reference whenever you have interacted with a member, either through Couchsurfing messages or in person, and have learned something about a Couchsurfer that will be informative to the community.
While you can leave "Other" references at any time, we recommend that you wait until your experience with the other member has ended. That way, your reference can reflect your entire experience with that individual, and not just part of your time together.
You will be able to leave a "Host/Surf" reference from the last day of your Couch request until 14 days after your stay has ended. For more about the difference between "Host/Surf" and "Other" references, see this article.
What should I write a Reference about?
References are ideally factual, descriptive, and informative. The following are useful pieces of information:
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Is the information on this member's profile accurate?
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Do you believe this member is trustworthy?
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If they hosted you, did you find their home environment safe and welcoming?
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Describe your overall experience. What specifically made you feel that the experience was positive, neutral, or negative?
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Would you surf with, host, or meet with this person again? Would you recommend this person to a friend?
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What personal qualities stand out about this person? Did you find them to be talkative? Respectful? Energetic?
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What particular activities did you enjoy sharing with this person?
Who will see my Feedback and References?
We collect both public and private feedback. On the forms when leaving your references and feedback, you’ll see “private” or “confidential” for information that won’t be shared with the person you’re reviewing.
Positive feedback tags will be public and grouped anonymously on this person’s profile in future site updates. Negative feedback tags are private and will be reviewed by the Safety Team. Both Positive and Negative references are displayed on member's profiles.
Can I leave a Reference after 14 days?
Confirmed Surf and Host references need to be left within 14 days of the of departure date of the stay (as noted in the Confirmed couchrequest). Members can leave Personal references for each other at any time.
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